Managing the Risk of Canola Production in Low Rainfall Environments

Authors: ¹Therese McBeath, ²Michael Moodie, ³Andrew Ware, ¹Bill Davoren, ¹Willie Shoobridge, ²Mick Brady, ²Todd McDonald, ³Leigh Davis, ³Brenton Spriggs, ³Sue Budarick

¹CSIRO Agriculture & Food Waite Campus ²Mallee Sustainable Farming ³SARDI

Funded By: GRDC Optimised Canola Productivity (CSP00187)

Peer Review: Elizabeth Meier

Key Messages

• Sowing at the earliest opportunity (which requires rainfall) is an important component of reducing the risk of canola production in low rainfall environments.
• The amount of N available to the crop is critical to productivity in a canola crop that has established well.
• Applying adequate doses of fertiliser N at seeding or early in the crop’s development have produced the highest grain yields but this was less important in a wet spring like 2016.
• Legumes can provide N to a subsequent canola crop, but in many cases, canola growing on legume residue will still respond to fertiliser N inputs.
• Analysis of the profit-risk context for optimal N inputs for canola produced in low rainfall environments is underway.